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The Varsoon Collection, Volume 1 - Varsoon and the Combine Era (House Item)
}} Book Text This book is titled "The Varsoon Collection, Volume 1 - Varsoon and the Combine Era". It is a complete volume that details the rise of a young mage during the Combine Era. The following compilation is a brief presentation of the legends and myths of the mage, Valdoartus Varsoon, known to many simply as Varsoon. Much work was done to separate the facts from the fiction in order to bring this work to you, the reader. The following volume begins with the first known appearance of this mysterious mage, compiled from what little records actually exist from the Combine Empire. The first known account of Varsoon comes from a series of ancient scrolls that were found, surprisingly enough, in an empty ale keg in the lost city of Kaladim. The scrolls tell the tale of a young mage by the name of Valdoartus, and how he achieved an amazing feat. For the first time in the history of the Archesian Order, a mage solved all seven of the Ember Conundrums on his first attempt. The scrolls continue to tell of this mage's rise to fame by detailing several more accomplishments that would soon follow. Valdoartus, not content with solving the Conundrums as easily as he had, began to search for a previously unknown Conundrum. He spent the next several years altering the methods in which fire could be drawn from stone, until he finally mastered the technique of the Yellow Flame. With the Yellow Flame inscribed on the front page of his spellbook, he went before the Illucidic Council and offered to give them a demonstration of the Eighth Conundrum. Once the Yellow Flame had achieved it's highest temperature, Valdoartus used nothing more than a single fig leaf to transform it into a Pillar of Earthen Lore. Once his demonstration was over, the Council convened for the next fortnight. When they re-emerged, they proclaimed the Eighth Conundrum truly did exist and that Valdoartus would be credited as its discoverer. Not only would this solidify his name as a respected mage among the Illucidic Council, it would also open the way for future discoveries. Due to his discovery of the Eighth Conundrum, Valdoartus Varsoon was granted access to the most secret of all magicks - Planar Thaumaturgy. He would spend the next several years researching the most simple of spells within this line of magic until finally attempting his first spell. After a grueling twelve hour ritual, he opened a rift between the planes. Already prepared for his journey, Valdoartus stepped though the rift and began his journeys through the planes. Not much is said in the scrolls about the specific details of the journeys themselves, but the scrolls do highlight many of the artifacts that he brought back with him when he returned. The scrolls are rather vague about the specifics about the artifacts, but they describe them as being unlike anything anyone had seen before. Of all the artifacts only three were mentioned in detail. One of the artifacts was an egg that burned to a crisp anything that touched it, yet were it to be placed within a ceramic vase, it would glow as bright as the sun in the sky. One of the other artifacts that Valdoartus brought back with him was named the Whisper of Marr. Its description is rather odd, for the scrolls claim it was shaped like a creature not unlike a rabbit and also made from pure crystal. When set on a table made from a sapient apple tree, the Whisper of Marr would turn pink and quietly say the word "Glorious." Anyone within earshot of the Whisper would wake up the next morning and find a pouch in their hands containing exactly three pieces of gold. The only artifact that Valdoartus purportedly kept for himself was a small cup carved from ivory. Upon its lip were etched letters in an unknown language. Never being seen without it, Valdoartus was constantly questioned as to its function. The only answer he ever gave was, "It is the greatest discovery I have ever made."